The battle continues with Moro, and the more we learn some more about how this villain works, the more I am starting the think the flipping of release schedules of both the anime and the manga might be the best thing to happen for the series since its revival.

In the last part, the emaciated warlock Moro had made his way to Namek with intent to use and abuse both it and its Dragon Balls, only to be intercepted by both Vegeta and Goku. Vegeta took the first shot at fighting Moro, so obviously is was going to job out at some point.

While still considerably weaker than he was at his prime, Moro begins to use his magic in earnest against Vegeta, attacking him with energy, fire and lava. However, unlike most other enemies in Dragon Ball history, the power of the enemy is not their own, rather Moro manipulates and uses the power of the very planet they stand on, making it his weapon.

I am already really into this story line as it is giving us our first genuinely original Dragon Ball villain in years, excluding Zamasu of course. However, Moro isn’t above the hubris of a cartoon villain, as Vegeta (very obviously) manipulates him into revealing his motives for the Planet Namek.

Moro reveals through his boasting that his power is paltry in comparison to the power he held when in the prime of his youth. So Vegeta correctly deduces Moro intends to do a King Piccolo and use the Dragon Balls to return to his prime. At this point Vegeta returns to his own boastful self and switches it on. And by it, I mean the blue.

At this level Vegeta is able to make quick work of Moro, blasting him into a lake. However, we start to realise something is amiss as the trees around Goku and Vegeta, and the Namkeians in the distance begin to drop down as if unable to hold themselves up.

Moro gathers a ton of energy in a Spirit Bomb-like fashion, to which Goku, very strangely enquires “shouldn’t we just attack him while he’s charging up?”, but they don’t. It’s like this weird unspoken rule of Dragon Ball that people take forever to charge attacks but nobody ever interrupts them. So much so that Goku actually pointing this out seems kind of jarring, especially when neither him or Vegeta act upon it. Just something I felt I had to point out.

Anyway, the big ball isn’t an attack, rather it’s a snack made of the planet’s energy, which Moro consumes and gains a power boost from. Goku and Vegeta realise their mistake too late, Moro hasn’t just been consuming the life of the planet, but everything that stands upon it, including them. Thus the inevitable beat down of Vegeta begins, and all is right with the world.

I’m enjoying this chapter, even if it played out in an incredibly predictable fashion. Without enough power to even turn Super Saiyan, Goku and Vegeta will be forced to retreat I imagine. Although they’ll probably do something to deny Moro access to the Dragon Balls on the way out. It wonder at what point the wider cast are going to become involved in the story.

Beerus, Freeza and the Super Dragon Balls are all on the table for Moro to pursue afterwards while Vegeta gets berated by Mr Perfect Meerus for running into fight blind. I have all the respect in the world for Toriyama, but having Toyotaro doing the actual storytelling here makes the storytelling more more concise, and it actually holds continuity.

I’m insanely interested in both where this is going, and to see how the anime will eventually handle this story.